Winners and losers from AFL Round 6

Evening readers. As I imagine you’ve already noticed, this week’s column follows something of a different format to what has been the norm so far in 2019.

Why? The short and honest answer is that I was a little pressed for time this week, and this format takes a bit less of it to put together – plus, I’ve been curious for a while whether doing it this way would be any good.

The positive? I’ll spend time on every team, making it a victory for the egalitarians. You’d never have to wade through 3000 words only to find I didn’t give your side much of a mention.

The downside? There won’t be as much space to fully develop any specific ideas – which maybe isn’t such a bad thing for a piece published seconds after the round ends.

If you’re a regular reader, I’d love for you to let me know in the comments what you think. This probably won’t be a permanent change, but if you absolutely love it – or hate it – then now’s your chance to tell me.

Adelaide Crows

Defeated St Kilda 97-68, 3-3

After two strong wins in as many weeks, it’s about time we asked: have Adelaide found some serious form, or have they gotten a bit lucky?

At the start of the year we would not have considered Gold Coast or St Kilda to be significant scalps, but strong starts to the season from both made it clear they aren’t easybeats either.

The Crows’ two biggest victories over the past fortnight have been a) boosting their percentage and b) seeing Taylor Walker in good form.

Brisbane Lions

Defeated Gold Coast 111-62, 4-2

One aspect of learning to be a quality team is living up to the expectation that you’ll comfortably beat those sides who are inferior to you, rather than just steal scrappy unexpected wins.

Brisbane did exactly that this week in the Pineapple Grapple (yes, that’s what we’re calling it now) – they led by only a goal at halftime but found another level after that.

Mitch Robinson’s 26 touches and three goals which saw him awarded the Marcus Ashcroft Medal as best-on-ground was a reminder of what an underrated and valuable recruit he’s been for the club.

Carlton Blues

Defeated by Hawthorn 88-93, 1-5

Like many people I was born without the ability to feel sympathy for Carlton, but if I ever came close it was on Sunday when fans must have been absolutely heartbroken to let the opportunity for back-to-back victories slip.

The Blues had a six-goal advantage partway through the second quarter but, like some other young sides this week, just couldn’t maintain the rage in the second half. They might well have been a chance after the siren had the timekeeper fallen asleep for a couple of seconds.

It sounds harsh – and it probably is – but it’s these missed opportunities that have the potential to do them serious damage come the offseason, when Adelaide will hold their draft pick. They’ve got a percentage of 93.6 and are a better team than a 1-5 record reflects.

Collingwood Magpies

Defeated Essendon 73-69, 4-2

I’ll resist the urge to get drawn into the booing conversation here. Very short version: I don’t like booing and don’t do it myself, but does that mean other people shouldn’t do it either? Don’t know, and honestly don’t find the topic compelling enough to consider it much further.

Let’s talk instead about the player who copped the crowd’s wrath: Scott Pendlebury. With 38 disposals, 566 metres gained, 26 pressure acts and eight intercepts, he very much deserved the best-on-ground nod.

Pendles is set to play his 300th game in the first week of finals this year should all go well for him and Collingwood, and my question is: could he be the next to break the 400 mark? I don’t see why not.

Essendon Bombers

Defeated by Collingwood 69-73, 3-3

Bombers fans no doubt feel a bit hard done by following what was widely perceived as poor umpiring on Thursday, and in true footy fan fashion all the focus has been directed on that rather than asking how they allowed themselves to get so far behind to begin with.

Dylan Shiel is finding out right now just what it means to be a high-profile player in Victoria: copping scrutiny both off the field and on it.

While he was overall one of their best performers on Anzac Day, most analysis since then has highlighted those key moments of poor disposal that cost him and his team. Is he a flawed superstar, or just a second-tier talent? (Which is still a pretty good tier.)

(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Fremantle Dockers

Defeated Western Bulldogs 88-69, 4-2

I reckon this would have been an easier match to take some thoughts out of were it particularly clear where we rate either of these teams. Are the Dockers dangerous or dreadful? For the Bulldogs – same question?

#Mundy3Hundy was the obvious highlight for the Fremantle faithful this week and the fans should be commended for just how robustly they celebrated the occasion. The crowd noise as he lined up for his second goal was phenomenal, even just through the TV.

Freo’s other big plus is that Brandon Matera, a player whose value has been (fairly) questioned at times, has booted nine goals in two weeks. Is it a purple patch – wouldn’t be his first – or genuine emergence?

Geelong Cats

Defeated West Coast Eagles 104-46, 5-1

This week Geelong: knocked off the reigning premiers, did so by nearly ten goals, boosted their percentage to a league-high 146.9 and, finally, put some distance on the comp by becoming the only team at 5-1.

There’s no getting around it: right now, they’re the premiership favourites. Yes, I know that does them no good when finals are still months away, but it’s true regardless.

They made a lot of changes over the offseason and at this early stage just about every move has been a right one. Quick shout out goes to Gary Rohan, whose 2.5 goals per game to date is by a wide margin his career best.

Gold Coast Suns

Defeated by Brisbane Lions 62-111, 3-3

You must have a cold heart if you didn’t get swept up in the surprising joy of Gold Coast winning three of their first four matches this year, but at the same time it was a mistake if anyone thought it was genuinely indicative of how their season would progress.

St Kilda, Fremantle, the Bulldogs and Carlton was a remarkably kind opening month in the fixture and given that the AFL have a vested interest in this club getting some positive momentum, I’d believe you if you told me it wasn’t coincidental.

Even in defeat though it’s clear that the Suns still have a) some quality young talent on the list and b) a genuine desire to be competitive. That’s a good combination for a club in their position.

GWS Giants

Defeated Sydney Swans 120-79, 4-2

Very ironic that as the Giants lost Phil Davis as a late out ahead of this week’s match, so too did the Sydney Swans lose Lance Franklin, the player all and sundry expected him to man up against.

Perhaps more interestingly though it also meant the Giants went into this match without either of their co-captains and the responsibility was at late notice handed to Stephen Coniglio.

He handled it well – and in a week where there’s been fresh speculation about where he’ll play in 2020 and beyond. 24 touches and four goals, give him a blank cheque.

(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Hawthorn Hawks (3-3)

Defeated Carlton 93-89, 3-3

Came away from this match with the four points in hand so can’t complain so mission accomplished, but when the final siren blew the Hawthorn plays seemed a bit subdued, more relieved than genuinely excited to have recorded a comeback win.

They’ve been badly undermanned in the midfield the past few weeks and having Liam Shiels back with 26 touches and three goals was seriously handy, while Jaeger O’Meara put in arguably a career-best performance particularly when the Hawks were struggling in the first half.

The win saw them become the 13th side in the league, after six rounds, to have at least three wins – where do they rank in that group? Right now, I’m not convinced they make finals.

Melbourne Demons

Defeated by Richmond 42-85, 1-5

Our own Ryan Buckland said after Wednesday night’s loss to the Tigers that this is season over for the Demons and given they currently sit on the bottom of the ladder, it’s hard to disagree.

Imagine telling Melbourne supporters before the season began that on Anzac Eve they’d have the chance to play a Tigers side missing both Alex Rance and Trent Cotchin: they’d have licked their lips.

Instead, five weeks on from a poor start in Round 1 this side doesn’t seem to have made any serious progress on that early nadir. They’ll hope it’s a Geelong ’06 or Richmond ’16 style year, but there’s no guarantees.

North Melbourne Kangaroos

Defeated by Port Adelaide 72-88, 1-5

I had the pleasure of catching up with Roar stalwarts Cam Rose, Anthony D’Arcy and Joel Shepherd to watch North’s Friday night game, and the ‘Roos defence was one of the big talking points.

Too many times on Friday night the backline just either couldn’t move the ball out of defence quickly enough, or weren’t able to execute the right manoeuvre to prevent an opposition goal.

A more positive point though: how good was Nick Larkey? Drew Petrie’s illegitimate son finally got a second crack at AFL level on Friday night and has surely earned an extended run in the side after kicking three goals.

Port Adelaide Power

Defeated North Melbourne 88-72, 4-2

Another week goes by and once again we are impressed by the trio of kids that Port Adelaide have picked up in the first round of last year’s draft.

Connor Rozee with 22 touches and a goal is just as electric as promised, and Xavier Duursma wih 24 and 1 is showing us just what great depth there was in last year’s ‘superdraft’.

Port seem to be as deeply in the mix for finals as any side this year, but at the same time I wonder how easily one or two major injuries might derail them. Robbie Gray’s set to miss a few weeks – that’ll be a serious test.

(Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

Richmond Tigers

Defeated Melbourne 85-42, 4-2

The Tigers’ injury troubles were expected to reveal a lack of depth in the side, but instead they’ve put the spotlight on some young talent that has immediately taken to the top level. We have to bit the bullet and accept it: Richmond are just legitimately good.

Sydney Stack got the plaudits on Wednesday night with Damien Hardwick suggesting fans will build a statue of him, but notable also has been Jack Ross whose 28 touches in just his third game will, I suspect, earn him this week’s Rising Star nomination.

Also very impressive has been Liam Baker, who had 19 touches and two goals on Wednesday night. Say what you will about candlestick manufacturers, but one of the secrets to the Tigers’ success is not having too many butchers alongside him.

St Kilda Saints

Defeated by Adelaide 97-68, 4-2

After so much positive press last week the Saints would be disappointed to have fallen comfortably short in Round 6 – but we shouldn’t let that cancel out all their reasons to be optimistic.

Perhaps most interesting is that off the field the Saints in the space of two weeks have been linked to all of Stephen Coniglio, Jack Martin, Zak Jones and Adam Tomlinson.

Throw enough darts at the board and, as the saying goes, eventually something will stick. Coniglio is probably unlikely but someone the calibre of Martin would be huge for them.

Sydney Swans

Defeated by GWS Giants 120-79, 1-5

Stick a fork in ’em – they’re done. Yes, I know the Swans made finals from 0-6 just two years ago, but this is a very different side from that one and it doesn’t feel like they have the same kind of potential in them.

Lance Franklin as a late out meant Sydney fielded one of the youngest teams in the league this week, and to their credit they pushed the Giants in the first half.

Ultimately though they just didn’t have the pace to keep up with a team who is, for the first time, indisputably the “big brother” in NSW. What the Swans do next will be fascinating.

West Coast Eagles

Defeated by Geelong Cats 46-104, 3-3

After seeming like they shared the top tier with Geelong and GWS just a fortnight ago, the Eagles have now been handed two rather sizeable defeats in as many weeks.

The price Geelong asked for a Tim Kelly trade last year was undoubtedly an enormous, even unreasonable one. Still – should the Eagles have paid up regardless?

That would have not only given them another huge weapon in the midfield, but robbed one of this year’s most dangerous opposition sides of the very same. A genuine sliding doors moment.

(Adam Trafford/AFL Media/Getty Images)

Western Bulldogs

Defeated by Fremantle Dockers 69-88, 2-4

It feels like the talking points for the Bulldogs this week are the same talking points we have for them every week: why are their forwards defenders? Why are their defenders forwards? Why can’t they capitalise more on the talent they have?

Naturally when a team is losing games on a regular basis and seems to be doing so for much the same reasons in any given week, footy fans begin to grow a bit frustrated with the coach.

Is Luke Beveridge a mastermind whose all-conquering finished product we just haven’t seen yet? Or is he a bloke who just got bloody lucky for a month back in 2016? Who knows.